In the Past
by Gin Uyoku Kou
Summary: I made this story before reading the Shinsengumi page...gomen. So Tokio is the daughter of a resturant owner. Its how tokio and Saito met. PLEASE R&R!


In the Past  
  
Chapter One  
  
The Miburos paraded down the street with an air of dominance. The civilians rushed out of their way, cowering in admiration and not just a little fear. With the Shinsen Gumi, it was either absolute adoration, or insatiable hatred. They were a group of swordsmen who lived by the words, "Aku-soku-zan." Evil, recognize, crush.  
  
Tokio swept the street in front of her family's restaurant. The early sun shined brightly, promising a beautiful day. Even in these darkest of times, the sky was as blue as ever, seeming to profess that nothing was wrong. That's why she loved the sky so much.  
  
Her breath suddenly quickened as she saw the Shinsen Gumi approach nearer and nearer. She stared hard at the ground, but she watched the shifting robes of teal and white out of the corner of her eye apprehensively.  
  
"Irashai mase," she said quietly as they walked past her into the restaurant and she trailed in behind them. It's not that they caused any trouble…they just made her feel uneasy. The wild wolves were frequent visitors to her family's shop and Tokio wished that she was used to it already…but she wasn't.   
  
"What can I get you today?" she asked, pasting a smile on her face.  
  
"The usual," said the captain of the third division, Saitou Hajime.  
  
"Yada na, Saitou-san," Okita Souji, the leader of the first division, laughed, "You are so predictable. The same kakesoba every single day."  
  
"I like kakesoba," Saitou protested, his face an ever-unchanging mask of disapproval.  
  
Okita chuckled, "I'll have the house special."  
  
Tokio should be used to him too. She had remembered serving them ever since she had started taking orders in the restaurant. With care, she made the ordered food, taking care to add in the right spices, and working efficiently. She didn't want to incur their wrath. They were scary men, even the ever-smiling Okita.  
  
"Goyukkuli," she bowed a little.  
  
"If I take a wife, she has to be able to make kakesoba as well as you."  
  
Tokio stopped in her tracks, unconsciously clutching the serving plate close to her. The usually silent Saitou had announced that out of the blue.  
  
"Saitou-san," Okita stared at him unbelievably. The man had never said anything like that for as long as he had known him.  
  
"I can be unpredictable," Saitou said, his face still the same, but Tokio caught the dance of amusement in his hard eyes.  
  
"You are scaring the girl Saitou-san," Okita laughed.  
  
"Yi-yie," Tokio shook her head, fumbling quickly for words, "I-I'm honored that you say so."  
  
Okita laughed again and Tokio left them to their meal. "You will never get a wife like her by the way you act, Saitou-san."   
  
* * *  
  
It was the year 1864. Kyoto, Japan was the center of all the political unrest threatening to break out war in the country. Two main political parties had risen to the top: the Bafuku, the one in control, and the Ishin Shishi, the one trying to take control. It was no secret that people were being killed from both parties. The Shinsen Gumi was the protectors of the Bafuku.  
  
Late one night, Tokio had just done running an errand and was walking home. She heard a commotion as she was passing a street and looked down. She knew what she saw, she knew what was going to happen, but her feet were stuck to the ground as if they had grown roots.  
  
"Please spare me, I-I will pay you! How much do you want?!" the man pleaded the indifferent Saitou Hajime. He literally crawled to Saitou's feet.  
  
"A dog is tamed with food... A man is tamed with money... But nothing can tame a Miburo," he replied mercilessly.   
  
Tokio watched wide-eyed as, in a single smooth stroke, he sliced off the man's head as effortlessly as slicing through thin air. The thing made a dull thud as it hit the ground and rolled a little. Saitou whipped the blood off of his katana and sheathed it. The action was so full of grace it was disgusting. All of that had taken but two seconds. Her feet suddenly became loose and she bolted without a look back.  
  
Saitou proceeded down the street languidly. He had seen the girl running away. It wouldn't trouble him since it wasn't a secret what the Shinsen Gumi was doing, but it would mean that the girl would be more afraid of him than she was already.  
  
She stumbled, falling on her knees. She threw up unceremoniously and knelt there for a long time, not believing what she had seen. Tokio knew what the Shinsen Gumi did, but it was a whole another story to actually witness it.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Did you hear?" a woman said.  
  
"Yes…they killed Chou-san," another woman whispered.  
  
"They" were just coming in the restaurant.   
  
"I'm glad they did," Harume said bitterly, "Kaemichi Chou was nothing but a dirty cheat. He prospered off of other's ruin. Do you know what he did to my family? I'm glad that he's dead!"  
  
"Harume…not so loud," Tokio whispered to the younger girl.  
  
Kaemichi Chou was, simply put, a moneylender. People who needed money pawned a valuable and got their money. However, he would often belittle the actual worth of the object and still charge a high interest on the lent money. A lot of families had lost everything to him and a lot of people hated him.  
  
Tokio closed her eyes as yet again the image of the man's head being cut off flashed in front of her eyes. She quietly took the men's orders, taking care not to look at the third division captain, prepared their food, and served it.  
  
Saitou didn't say anything and started eating.  
  
"You are even more quiet than usual Saitou-san," Okita commented.  
  
He didn't say anything still.  
  
"Bad night?" Okita asked.  
  
"Hmph," was the reply.  
  
Tokio stared at the man without realizing it. He glanced at her and then looked away. His eyes were as cold as ice, like they always were. Gulping, she scuttled into the kitchen and hid there until they were gone.  
  
Late that night, she lay, tossing and turning in her bed.  
  
A dog is tamed with food... A man is tamed with money... But nothing can tame a Miburo.  
  
Kaemichi Chou was nothing but a dirty cheat. He prospered off of other's ruin. Do you know what he did to my family? I'm glad that he's dead!  
  
Yet again, the man's head fell off of its platform.  
  
Tokio wept silently. It was all so confusing. She didn't know who was right and who was wrong. It seemed that lately, the line between good and evil had been erased, and nothing was as simple as it seemed…   
  
* * *  
  
"This is my youngest daughter, Tokio." Her father introduced her to a man she had rarely seen before. By the looks of his clothes, Tokio could tell he was a very important person.  
  
"Ohh, this is little Tokio! She has grown up into a very fine young lady," he said.   
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu," Tokio bowed.  
  
"Great manners too," the man smiled.  
  
Tokio's father nodded silently, his face a little sad.   
  
* * *  
  
"Tokio-chan," her mother stood at the paper door.  
  
"Come in," Tokio rubbed her eyes, getting up.  
  
"You must pack your things," her mother said suddenly, when she came in.  
  
"Nani…?" Tokio asked, confused, "Why…?"  
  
Tokio's mother suddenly clutched her in a tight hug. "If only you could have been uglier, if only you could have misbehaved for once in your life, if only you have been discourteous…"  
  
"Okaa-san…" Tokio pleaded, "What do you mean…? Why…?"  
  
"That man out there with your father today. His name is Takeyama Naoki," her mother was crying now.  
  
Takeyama Naoki was one of the minor lords in the area. He was known for his extravagance and was rumored to take on certain servants to be used for something else except cleaning.  
  
"Sonna…" Tokio collapsed on her bed. "I don't want to go!"  
  
"We have no choice Tokio… Even if he is just a minor lord, he has great influence…" her mother said, "Please understand…"  
  
A lot of people depended on this restaurant for their livelihood, not just her family. If they were to lose it.  
  
* * *  
  
"Sayounara," Tokio bowed to her family. Her mother broke down and wept with her father trying to comfort her.  
  
As she was going towards Takeyama's estate, she passed by the Shinsen Gumi. She was too much enveloped in her own troubles to notice that the third division captain looked at her as she passed by.  
  
Tokio reported to the steward who sent her with some women to get accustomed to her duties. As she passed by, people seemed to whisper behind her back. She only had an inkling of what they talked about…   
  
* * *  
  
"Tokio-chan~" the drunken voice called. "Tokio-chan~"  
  
The unsteady footsteps thundered in her ears. This was the third time this week. The paper door slid open with a snap… The room was empty.  
  
"WHERE ARE YOU!" the voice raged. "WHAT DO YOU THINK I PAY YOU FOR!!" The drunkard's voice faded away.  
  
Tokio wept silently as she hid in the closet with the bedding. She had escaped three times from Lord Takeyama, but who knows if she would be lucky next time…   
  
* * *  
  
"Shinsen Gumi!" the lord exclaimed, "To what do I owe this honor."  
  
Takeyama Naoki seemed to have a dual nature. The cordial man during the day and the prowling drunkard during the night.   
  
"It is not an honor Takeyama," Saitou Hajime's voice caught Tokio's ears.  
  
Takeyama's face darkened slightly, but he still had a smile on his face. "Ah, how rude I am. Come in, come in!"  
  
Tokio brought in the tea to the three men. The first division captain, Okita was there as well.   
  
"Ara, if it isn't Tokio-chan," Okita smiled, "Saitou here has been grumbling about his kakesoba ever since you disappeared."  
  
"Tokio works for me now," Takeyama replied, not giving Tokio the chance to.  
  
"We've been hearing suspicious reports about you, Takeyama," Saitou cut in.  
  
"About me?" the lord laughed, "Whatever could they be? Probably just rumors spread by people who bear me ill-will."  
  
"We shall see," Saitou stood up, not even touching his tea, "Ikuzo, Okita."  
  
"Hai, hai," Okita got up as well, "Saitou-san always in such a hurry to leave… It was nice seeing you again Tokio-chan, take care."  
  
Takeyama was frowning as soon as the samurais turned their backs. "Go see them out Tokio," he said through his teeth.  
  
"Hai," Tokio left.  
  
She helped the men with their shoes.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking Tokio-san," Okita asked, "Why did you suddenly come and work here."  
  
"Naoki-sama needed extra servants… My father thought it was best for me to come here…" she replied.  
  
"You won't be keeping this position long if he keeps going in his delusion that he can escape the law," Saitou said. He didn't seem like he was saying it to anyone, but Tokio knew he had directed the comment towards her.  
  
"Naoki-sama treats me very kindly. I hope nothing bad happens to him," she looked at the floor, lying blatantly through her teeth.  
  
"Hmph," Saitou left with Okita trailing behind.  
  
Tokio wiped away a tear. She had almost said it… Take me away!   
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Tokio!"  
  
Paper doors snapped open one after the other. The last was the opening to her hideaway. The last week of escape had been too much to hope for.  
  
"I've found you, you lil' vixen!" Takeyama said with slurred speech.  
  
"Onegai, Naoki-sama-" Tokio pleaded fruitlessly.  
  
"What do you think will happen to you, with a pretty face like that." His breath brushed her cheek as he dragged her out. "If I'm not the one, some other lord will probably find you."  
  
"Yamete…Naoki-sama…" she struggled.  
  
"Haha," his breath stank of alcohol as he breathed into her face. "You think you'll get any mercy for me?"  
  
His hands tore at her kimono. Tokio could only bite her lip and close her eyes. She wished she had the strength to protect herself.  
  
The paper door snapped open, once again.  
  
"You'll let her go if you want to live another second."  
  
Tokio's eyes snapped open. Saitou's voice had never been so cold, the moon accenting his fierce-looking face, yet, to Tokio; his voice had never been so soothing, his face never been so gracious to the eyes.  
  
Takeyama scrambled away confused. "How dare you intrude into my house! Even if you are Shisen Gumi, you are nothing but a lowly policeman! I am a lord!"  
  
The man realized immediately he had taken the wrong course of action.  
  
"We have received solid evidence of your wrong-doings. Your sentence will be carried out shortly," Saitou replied with a thin smile which quickly disappeared. He looked at Tokio. "You are shameless," he said to the cowering Takeyama.  
  
"Saa," Saitou turned to Tokio. "You are free to go home now."  
  
"Arigatou-gozai-mashita…" Tokio bowed lowly, her head almost touching the ground, her hands extended in front of her.  
  
Saitou acknowledged her with a curt nod. Tokio rearranged her clothes and ran away. It seemed like she ran home in one bound, running into her mother's welcoming arms.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hehh, free meals," Okita smiled.  
  
"Yes, as our gratitude for returning our daughter to us," Tokio's father said.  
  
"Meals I can afford," Saitou replied. Everyone stared at this silent yet threatening man. "But we have been short of maids and everything has been in disarray lately…"  
  
Her father's mouth dropped open, gaping like a fish on dry land.  
  
"I would be honored if I can come and work for the Shinsen Gumi, Saitou-san," Tokio stepped forward.  
  
The attention shifted towards her and back at Saitou.  
  
"Very well then, it is done," Saitou nodded once.   
  
* * *  
  
"Okeari, Saitou-san," Tokio bowed at the door.  
  
To the outsider, Saitou seems to just walk by without even acknowledging her, but Tokio knew better.  
  
In the past month since she had been working at the Shinsen Gumi's headquarters, she had gradually learned the nuances of his expressions and the subtlety of his voice. As the world around them slowly crumbled, these two places, here and her home, seemed to be indestructible. They were the only two truths in her life. Over this past month, she had also learned to overcome her fear of Saitou. After all, what she had of her life, she owed to him…and not only that…  
  
"Anytime now…" Saitou said as Tokio poured tea for him.  
  
Tokio knew that the country was close to war…but so soon?   
  
"You and your family should leave while you can," he continued, looking out at the setting sun.  
  
"Demo…" Tokio murmured.   
  
* * *  
  
With a heavy heart, Tokio hung up the closing sign on the door of the restaurant. Her mother, worrying for their safety, had convinced her father to relocate for now. She had an older sister in Oosaka who needed people to help run her establishment.  
  
Taking one last look at the place where she grew up, Tokio climbed into the wagon with the rest of her family. She looked back down the still busy street as people darted here and there, going about their lives, awaiting what fate has in store for them.   
  
Again, a heavy sigh came from the depth of her heart. She had gone to the Shinsen Gumi one last time, but only found Okita. The young man told her that Saitou had gone out early on an assignment. His face was ashen and he looked ill, but as always, he had a bright smile on his face.  
  
"I'm sure this is not the last time we will all see each other, Tokio-chan. I'll look after Saitou while you are gone," he grinned.  
  
Tokio bowed her head, feeling her face turn read. "Hai… Please take care of yourself Okita-san," Tokio bowed, "Sayounara…"   
  
* * *  
  
The sound of people melted away as the clip-clop and thrumming of the wheels on the dirt path became the only sounds in her world. Please take care of yourself Saitou-san…   
  
* * *  
  
It was a quiet afternoon of late summer when the news came to them that Kyoto had been set afire. Tokio sat in a daze, not daring to let her mind wander toward her fear. The cicadas faded in and out as the wind caressed the silvery wind-chime. The world went on, as if nothing had happened. But, something did happen. She had to find out what.   
  
* * *  
  
"Tokio-chan," her mother pleaded, "Please don't do this. It is dangerous in Kyoto. Nothing is left except those who still fight! It is no place for a young girl."  
  
"Okaa-san," Tokio replied quietly, "I can't stay here. I must find out…"  
  
Looking at her daughter, she knew that there was nothing she could say to make Tokio stay.   
  
Chapter Four:  
  
The sign of medicine flashed on a flag ahead. It was a medicine-seller and his wife with a couple of passing customers.  
  
"He sells the best medicine for sword wounds," a man said to another.  
  
Tokio stopped in her tracks. Saitou-san…  
  
"Sumimasen…" Tokio stopped in front of the medicine-seller, "I heard that you sell medicine for sword wounds?"  
  
"Hai," the man looked up at her from his sitting position, revealing what had been hidden by his straw hat.   
  
The man's red hair shifted with the wind, his violet eyes accented by the disappearing sun. A single scar ran down the cheek on the left side of his face. His face was young, but his aura was anything but innocent. This was no ordinary man, Tokio realized immediately.  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu," the man thanked her as she handed him the money.  
  
As Tokio walked away, she noticed the man was smiling ever so slightly at his wife beside him. There was certainly an air of mystery around them. She would have liked hearing their story. Tokio smiled to herself. They seemed to be happy now despite whatever misfortune they must have experienced in the past.  
  
* * *  
  
The smell of dust lingered in the air. It had been weeks since the fire, yet… There were still people about, the few who had escaped the fire with their lives, and had no where else to go. Tokio walked in a stupor through what had once been a beautiful place. Now only black skeletons of the past remained. She stood staring for a long time at what had been her home and shed tears for what had been.  
  
"Didn't I tell you we would meet again, Tokio-chan?" A familiar voice said.  
  
"Okita-san!" Tokio whirled around, "Saitou-san wa…"  
  
The object of her inquiry loomed beside the shorter man.  
  
"It's dangerous for a lone woman to be wandering around," he said sternly. "The police is occupied at the moment with other things."  
  
"Sumimasen," Tokio apologized.  
  
"We couldn't stop them from setting the fire. Gomen," Okita said sadly.  
  
"I am just glad that you are all right," Tokio looked down.  
  
"Well, I'll be on my way," Okita smiled, "It was nice to see you again Tokio-chan, your face is a nice change in this gloominess. I'll see you later Saitou."  
  
Tokio looked after the young man. She didn't want to say good-bye, although she knew this was the last time she would ever see him.  
  
"I have duties I must attend to," Saitou shifted.  
  
"Ano…" Tokio stepped in front of him unconsciously. "This…" She held out her medicine pouch for him. "I heard the medicine-seller made the best sword wound medicine…so…"  
  
He took it from her hands. "You wasted your time. The Shinsen Gumi has doctors…" Saitou cleared his throat, his voice dropping a little, "Arigato-na." He turned. "You better go back home where it is safe Tokio. The battlefield is no place for a woman."  
  
"Hai," Tokio acquiesced.  
  
"Dewa…sayounara," he said and started walking.  
  
"Saitou-san," Tokio murmured and heard him stop. "Please take care of yourself."  
  
"Aah," he replied and moved once before he was stopped by her voice again.  
  
"You must come back, Saitou-san," Tokio added.  
  
"Aah," he reiterated.  
  
"You must survive, Saitou-san," Tokio said brokenly. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she said without realizing, "Or my heart will die with you…!" She clasped a hand over her mouth.   
  
There was a silence.  
  
"I'm not a amateur weakling, " he replied, a little shortly, and walked on.  
  
Tokio listened as his footsteps faded away and smiled a little through her tears. He will come back to me…   
  
* * *  
  
Saitou heard Okita's battle cry. He had finally found the Hitokiri he was looking for. However, Okita was in no shape to fight the man and his perception was confirmed when Okita started coughing up blood.  
  
"Step back Okita," Saitou told the younger man. "You are in no shape to fight him."  
  
"Saitou-san…" Okita watched as Saitou assumed his Gatotsu position.  
  
In the blink of an eye, he was enveloped into a fearsome battle.  
  
You fight so fiercely because you have a reason da ro…Himura Battousai…  
  
There was a small weight at his waist. It was a small medicine pouch.  
  
There's a reason for fighting, killing, living. What's my reason…?  
  
The wind howled through the narrow alley, carrying the voices of the dead souls still trapped until they see an end to the cause that they gave their life for. The ringing of metal against metal was the music of the battle and the moon, the overseer, the night the audience.  
  
There's someone waiting for me… That's why I will survive...I will not loose.  
  
* * *  
  
Tokio kept on living. The war came and went. The Ishin Shishi was victorious. Now the new Meiji era dawned. Tokio kept on living. The blue sky shined on as brightly as ever… Saitou-san will come back to me…  
  
"Ne-chan," her younger brother ran into the kitchen where Tokio was cooking. "There is a policeman looking for you."  
  
"Policeman…?" Tokio asked quizzically.  
  
Her brother went on about how cool the man looked with his katana and his dreams of becoming such a man.  
  
Loosening her hair from its hold, she walked through the house to the front door. She stepped outside, slipping into her shoes, and shielded her eyes from the sun. It had been dark inside and her eyes were slow to adjust to all the brightness.  
  
The first impression she had was a smiling man in a police uniform carrying a katana in his hand.  
  
"You asked for…" Tokio stopped dead in her sentence. Her hand dropped to her side in a thud and her vision blurred. This time, it wasn't the sun. "Saitou-san!" she called like a little child and ran up to him, collapsing in his arm.  
  
Tokio touched her hand to his face, still a little afraid this was all a mirage. The war had toughened Saitou's countenance.  
  
"What's with all the fuss. Did you truly believe I wouldn't survive?" he smiled a cold smile.  
  
"Yie," Tokio shook her head a little, "Saitou-san promised me he would be back and I knew he would keep his word."  
  
He stepped back a little and untied something from his waist. It was the bundle that she had given him that day long ago in war-torn Kyoto. It was a half-filled.  
  
"I ran into a certain redhead," he explained. 


End file.
